Panel-board cabinet.



RI4 H. eLLEY.

PANEL BOARD CABINET. APPLICATION FILED MAY I9I0. RENEWEDFEB. 41I9II.

1,172,826. i Patented Feb. 22,1916.

IIIA

lllll INVENTOR.

WITNESSES A Z. Rf

M B y 'yvmydum ATTORNEY.

, UNITED sYrATEs PATENT onirica.

Y I'tiavivroNnl H. "oriLnY,r or sYnAcUsn, New YORK, assiGNon To cnoUsn-i-IINDs COMPANY, or sYRAcUsE, NEW YORK, A coRPoRAtrIoN or NEW YORK.

PANEL-BOARD CABINET.'

'Application inea May 6,1910, seriai No. 559,711.-

To all whom t may concern.'-

' Be it knownthat I, RAYMOND H. OLLEY,

Y a citizen of the United States, residing at Syracuse, in the county ofGnondaga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful 'Improvements in Panel- Board Cabinets, of which the following is a specification. p

- This invention relates to improvements in.

panel board cabinets, designed for use in housing and protectingthe electric distributing parts, and the invention relates par-V ticularly tol thatclass of panel board work 40 Y f the'sa-id parts-for installationv in theca'binet y or boX. And a furtherobject is to' provide lsupporting devices vfor panel boards comprising but few parts, of noveland simple construction and arrangement, which may be i vsecuring thepanel board -and the which is inclosed in a box setting flush with or on'the surfaceof the wall of a building.

The objectof ,the invention is to provide a simple, strong and serviceable cabinet of the tclass, which is 'arranged with a compartment for containing theswitehes or cut outs, and which is surrounded by a wall for providing a'clo'sed gutter, lbetween the cutouts `and the-feed `and distributing wires. A further object is to provide a number of nveland coperating parts for adjustably Y p gutter walls to theinnerlside of the cabinet. yThe said securing means arranged at the several corners of the' panel board,and each consisting of a plurality of clampingmembers, capable of being readily' and quickly applied or removed.` v Each set of'clamping parts arranged for independently applying,v

adjusting or removing, and the several mem! @bers comprising each sety also capable of'v adjustmentin relation to each other. Y p n 'A particular object of the invention is to provide a seriesof' clampingsets or parts, by the'use'of `which the panel board base and the gutter lwalls require" no perforations or other .special treatment', in' order to .prepare "produced at yslight` expense and assembled and applied with a minimum' of skilled" labor. y

, To this end the invention consists of the novel construction and arrangement of the' parts as set forth in the detail descriptionV Specification of Letters Patent. ylgmtnjlged Feb, 22, 1916.

Renewed February 4, 1911. Serial No.' 606,642.

i which follows, as illustrated by the accom--A Figs. 3 andaL are' respec'ively a top plan and f a front elevation of the 'nner clamping member. Figs. 5.and 6 are sr ilar views of the main corner bracket and supwrt. Figs.

*7, and 8 are respectively an end and aside yiew of the-outer clamping member.k Fig. 9 41s asectional View, showing modified form of clamping arts, for use in securing panel -members in the same plane.

Similar characters of reference designate correspondingL parts throughout the` several views.

In the drawings, the cabinet proper consists of a box, open at-one face and comprising side walls 2, end walls 3, a bottom 4, and amat or cover 'whichis secured to matis disposed a panel board or base 9. The panel board 9 preferably corresponds informto'` the cabinet or box, and may have 2 the open face ofthe cabinet by screws 6. To gain access tothe interior of the 'cabinet' Van 'a larger orsmallerfarea than the opening inthe .mat 5; The panel basel), in the present device is'plaeeddirectlyagainst the flat bottom or back l of the boX. Againstv each side and end of the. panel'board yis' disposed` a relatively narrow strip of suitable ma.-

terial comprising the inner wallV l010and 11e-1l. Thesestrips are set on' edge, and at right angles` to the plane of the board 9. The'lower or inner. edges of the stripsklO andll preferably bear against the bottom 4.- of the boX, while their upper or outer edges preferably approach substantially to the undersidek ofthe mat 5. Under tliisvarrangement a closed space or gutter 12 is provided and extends all around the panel board in which Vthe feed and distributing wires and other connections may be conveniently installed.

To hold the parts comprising the panel board base and the strips which form the inner' walls of the gutter in place, I provide a series of cooperating clamping parts, and dispose the saine within the metallic boX, one set ot which is arranged at each corner of the panel board. The clamps for each corner consist of two opnositely formed brackets 13 and 14, and a third angular member 15. The brackets 13 are substantially L-shaped and are disposed in diagonal position out-side of the corners of the panel board, and are secured to the bottom 4: ot the cabinet by screws 16, which pass through slots 17 formed in the foot or ange of each bracket, and thence through threaded holes 18 in the bottom d. The upright arm of each of the brackets 13 is formed at right angles to the flange or foot, and this portion is cast or formed into a right angle groove or corrugation which faces away from the lange and which receives the corner of the panel board 9. Vhen the tour brackets 13 are placed against the corners of the panel board and the screws 16 are tightened up, the board will be held from endlwise or sidewise movement, and by reason of the slots 17, the board may be adjusted so as to coincide with the opening in the mat 5. lThe inner bracket 111 has one end formed into a flange 11', which rests upon the face side ot the panel board, while the opposite end of this bracket is formed into a right angle groove or corrugation, which faces'the said flange and thus corresponds to, and is ca# pable of interlocking with, the groove in the bracket 13. The brackets or inner corner pieces 111 are positioned inside of the panel board inclosure, and are arranged to over lap the adjacent ends of the strips 10 and l1 and the edges of the upright portions or standards of the brackets 13 serve to prevent endwise movement of the lining strips too far into the clamping means and act as gages or guides by `which the position of the lining strips can be determinedV when being placed in position. Hence, said edges of the standards cooperate with the other parts of the clamping means to position the lining strips, although one or -both end edges of the lining strips may not engage the edges of the standard. In Fig. 1, the lining strips are shown as slightly spaced apart from the upright portions of the standards; and in Fig. 9, the lining strips are shown as engaging at their end edges the upright portions of the standard. By referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the strips 10 and 11 are each shorter than the ends and sides of the panel board, and are set relatively tothe board,

so as to leave an o enine or Ua at each cor ner. lThe brackets 1&1 when placed in position as shown in Fig. 1, close the gaps at the corners and serve to hold the panel board and the strips in true position. The brackets 13 and let of each corner set are then secured together by means of a screw 19, which passes through a slot 20 in bracket 14, and thence through a threaded hole 21 in the bracket 13. lVhen the screws 16 and 19 are tightened up the panel board 9 will be held from movement in any direction.

To hold the gutter frame parts 10 and 11 truly at right angles to the panel board and also tightly against the outer edges of said board, a clamping member 15 is disposed at each corner of the panel board inclosure, as shown in Fig. 1, in such manner that the lateral edges ot' the said members overlap the outer sides of the adjacent ends of parts 10 and 11. Each clamping member l5 is held in place by means of a screw 22, which passes through a slot 23, in the bracket 14, thence through a perforation 2d: in the bracketV 13, and thence into a threaded hole 25 in the member 15. The tightening up of the screws 22 will draw and hold the brackets 14 and members 15 tightly against the opposite sides of the gutter strips 10 and 11, and thus securely hold the latter in true position relatively to the panel board. The slots 2O and 23 in the brackets la are provided for affording adjustment of said bracket toward or away from the bottom of the boX,

to take care of the panel bases 9, which may be oit' varying thickness. The perforations 24 in the brackets 13 should be larger than the screws 22, for allowing the parts to be securely clamped to the wall strips without danger of cramping the said parts and rendering the clamps imperfect.

Fig. 9 illustrates a modified arrangement of the panel members, in which is shown two sections of a panel base 9', and also two of the side strips 10 of the same construction as shown in Fig. 1, which are so joined as to form a continuation one with the other in the same plane. This construction is generally followed where cabinets are of such length and width that additional sup ports are required for both the panel base and inner gutter walls other than those placed at the corners. Under this modified arrangement the corner supports are usually the same as shown in Fig. 1, but some additional supports are necessary at the sides or ends or both intermediate the corners, where the joints between the base sections and the wall strips occur. Inorder to properly secure and hold the panel. parts in place, as last described, I employ plain outer and in ner brackets 13 and 1111 and also an outer clamping part which consists of a flat plate 15 all of which parts are drawn and held in clamping position by a screw 22.

The panel board cabinets or boXes are usually made up by the manufacturer' and shipped to the'building contractors in advance ofthe installation of the electric parts. The matsor trim for the cabinets are made and fitted to the boxes and then re-v moved and laid aside kuntil the boxesV are embedded in the walls of the building. vAfter the. building is completed, the panel boards, gutter walls, and the securing devices for these parts, aswell as, theelectric i fittings are placed in position in the cabinet,

o and arrangement of the same, had to be as-A placed `in position tov close the open side of which comprise the panel board base and the gutter walls, as well as, the corner vclamping sets maybe finished and shipped by the fac-k tory to the place of installation in knockdown condition.

l in this manner much time is saved inthe assembling and packing of the parts, and besides there is little or no danger of anyf'of the partsbecoming broken or "injured in-rtransit. Heretofore under' many of the older methods of constructing and arranging the panel board cabinets, the

base andgutter walls 'and also the supportingdevices,owing to the'complicated nature sembled and set in the cabinets by skilled workmen before they goodsV were shipped to the place f. installation.` TV1Under the construction.` andr arrangement ofthe present device, none ofthe parts comprising the panel board or gutter walls require any perforations or ,other special workl to prepare vthem for installing the cabinets.A

The panel board bases may vary slightly in length, width gand,thickness and stillV beV readily lset inV placeywithout requiring any Vfurther. .cutting or change, as `all such discrepancies and ,inaccuracies are taken care of by the adjustablefarrangement of the clamping parts. All of` the supporting and clamping parts are made. and arranged in 1 thesimplest form, `and the whole complement of parts comprising the cabinet and electric fittings are capable of being assembled and installed ina readyand quick mannen by persons Vof ordinary skill.

Having thus f described my invention,

what Ifclaim as newvand desire to secure by `v Letters'ldatent, is-4 v, i f

1.*Thecombination of a panel board, lining Astrips'and means Vfor securing the panel board and'liningstrips in position includr' ing a. supporting member, a clamping mem- ;ber carried by the supporting member and having wings for engaging the, innerA faces of ad]ining..liningstrips, and a web connecting the wings at the lower ends thereof andbearing upon the face of the'base of the panel board, means engaging the outer faces of the lining strips and coacting with the clamping kmember to hold said strips, and means for clamping said member, substantially as and for the purpose described..v

2. The combination of a panel board, lin ing strips,vand means for securing the panel board and lining strips in position, said means including a supporting member, a clamping Vmember 'supported by the supporting member Aand having a clamping face for engaging the front face of the panel board and holding the panel'board in position, and clamping faces engaging the inner faces of lining strips, second clamping member coacting with the first clamping memberand engaging the v'outer faces of the lining strips, means lconnecting one clamping'member and the supportingmem-l ber, v.the clampingmembers being movable relatively to each other and to theV supporting member, and means .for movingthe clamping members relatively to each other and to the supporting member, saidmeans operating to draw the clamping members toward each other'when operated in one direct-ion, substantially as and-for the purpose' described. Y n

3. The combination of a panel board, lining strips and means for securing the panel] board and lining strips in position, saidV means including a'supporting member,l ak

clamping member carried by the supporting` member and having"facesrengaging the in! ner faces of the lining strips,`v a second clamping memberr coacting -with the vfirst clamping member and engaging the outer faces of the lining'` strips the clamping members being movable relatively to'each other and to the support, means for lmoving one clamping member relatively to the support and the other clamping member, and means s for drawing the; clamping members `toward each otherrelativelyto the support, substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

lio Y 4. rlheV combination of a panel boardand` cabinet therefor', andA lining strips, supports for the panel board', the paneliboard lying flat on the bottom of the cabinet, each sup- Yport comprising a member secured to the bottom of the cabinet,V inner andV outer clamping members, engaging opposite faces of-contiguous lining strips, the inner clamp- Y ing member having a clamping face for frictionally 'engaging the face of the panel board and holding the saine fiat against the.. bottom of the cabinet and the inner clamp-- ing member being secured to the first-mem tioned member, and means for drawing the clamping members together, substantially as and for the pu'rposefdescribed.

ini K y 5.V The combination of a panel board and cabinet therefor, andl-ining strips, supports for the panel board, each comprising a standf `panel board and holding ard secured to the bottom of the cabinet and extending upwardly between the ends of contiguous lining strips, inner and outer clamping members arranged on opposite sides of the standard and engaging opposite faces of said strips, means for securing the inner member to the standard, and means for drawing the inner and the outer inembers toward each other, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

G. The combination of a panel board and cabinet therefor, and lining strips, the panel board resting on the bottom of the cabinet, supports for the panel board, each comprising a standard secured to the bottom of the cabinet, and extending between the ends of contiguous lining strips, inner and outer clamping members arranged on opposite sides of the standard and engaging opposite faces of the contiguous lining strips, lthe inner clamping member having a clamping face for frictionally engaging the face of the panel board and holding the same fiat against the bottom of the cabinet, means for securing the inner member to the standard, and means for drawing the inner and outer members toward each other, substan-y tially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. The combination of a panel board and cabinet therefor, lining strips, corner supports, each comprising a standard secured to the bottom of the cabinet and extending between the ends of contiguous lining strips and engaging the end faces thereof, a clamping member supported by the standard and coacting with the lining strips, and means for connecting the clamping member and the standard, substantially as and for the purpose described.

8. The combination of a panel board and cabinet therefor, and lining strips, the panel board lying iiat on the bottom of the cabinet, supports for the panel board, each com prising a standard secured to the bottom of the cabinet, inner and outer clamping members supported by, and arranged on opposite sides of the standard and engaging opposite faces of contiguous lining strips, and means for drawing such members together, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

9. The combination of a panel board and cabinet therefor, and lining strips, the panel board lying flat on the bottom of the cabinet, supports for the panel board, each comprising a standard secured to the bottom of the cabinet and extending between the ends of contiguous lining strips, and engaging the end faces thereof, inner and outer clamping members arranged on opposite sides of the standard and engaging opposite faces of the lining strips, the inner clamping member having a clamping face for frictionally engaging the face of the the panel board fiat against the bottom of the cabinet, and the inner clamping member being secured to the standard and means for drawing the outer clamping member toward the inner, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

l0. The combination of a panel board, lining strips, and a support having means for engaging the panel board and the lining strips, and holding the same in position and also means extending between the ends of contiguous lining strips and engaging the end edges of such strips, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

11. The combination of a panel board, lining strips, and means for supporting the panel board and lining strips, said means comprising a support, clamping members for engaging inner and outer faces of the lining strips, means for securing one of said members to the support and one of the members having a clamping action toward the panel board and being provided with a face for frctionally engaging the upper face of the panel board, and the support including a part extending between opposing edges of the strips and between the clamping members, and means for clamping said members in' position, said means being located entirely external of the panel board so that thc panel board is not perforated by the fastening means, substantially as and for the purpose described.

1:2. The combination of a panel board and abinet therefor including wall strips, lining strips, corner pieces, each 'comprising a standard angular in cross section secured to the bottom of the cabinet and engaging the edges of the strips of the cabinet forming a corner, an angular clamping member supported by the standard and coacting with the lining strips, and a flange at one end connecting the sides of the angular. portion of said clamping member, the flange frictionally engaging the face of the panel board, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

13. The combination of a panel board and cabinet therefor, lining strips, Vthe panel board lying flat on the bottom of the cabinet, corner supports for the panel board each comprising a standard secured to the bottom of the cabinet and having an angular part fitting the corner of the cabinet, inner and outer angular clamping members arranged in opposite sides of the standard and engaging opposite faces of the contiguous lining strips, the inner clamping member having a flange at one end connecting the sides of the angular portion of said inner clamping member and frictionally engaging the face of the panel board and holding the panel board flat against the bottom of the cabinet and said inner clamping member being secured to the standard, and

nir/'ass secondmember arranged` for engaging the face of the panel board and also for interlocking with said firstmember adjacent the corner of the panel board, and a third member adapted to cooperate with said second member vfor clamping and holdingparts of a gutter wall against the edges of the panel board, means for adjustably connecting the first and second member, and means for adjustably connecting the second and thirdv member.

15. The combination with a cabinet and a panel board therein, said panel board surrounded by a gutter formed by a series of wall-strips arranged at each side and end of said board, of a plurality of supports for said panel board and said wall strips, each support comprising a main bracket capable of being adjustably secured tothe inner wall of the cabinet and arranged to receive a corner of said board, an inner'bracket having a flange for engaging' the face of said board for holding the same against the cabinet,

,and having an angular portion adapted to interlock with a like portion of the main bracket vand also to overlap the adjacentV ends ofthe wall strips, and an outer clamping member capable of overlapping the opposite sides of .the wall strips, a screw for connecting the inner bracket to the clamping member, and means for adjusting the inner bracket relatively to the main bracket and the clamping member. Y Y

` 16. A support for a panel board and gutter wall-strips, comprising a pair of oppositely arranged angular brackets, one of said brackets adjustably secured to the bottom of a cabinet and engaging one corner of the panel board, the other bracket engaging the face of the panel board for holding said board against the bottom of the cabi# net, each of saidbrackets having an angular portion extending at right angles to the bottom of the cabinet adapted to interfit with leach other, a threaded perforation in one bracket, aslot in the other bracket, a screw for adjustably connecting the said brackets, and a clamping member arranged to overlap the ends of the gutter wall-strips adapted to coperate with said brackets Vfor holding said strips against the edges of the panel board. y

1'?. A corner support for panel boards and `gutter Walls, comprising three Vcoperating` parts, one part consisting of an L-shaped bracket arranged for adj ustably securing'the la second `part consistingof'a bracket havmember for effecting the clamping of the gutter walls.

y net, and having a corrugated portion adaptadjusting one bracket relatively to the other vsupport'to theback cfa cabinet between a corner of the vcabinet and a corner ofthe panel board, said :bracket having a groove for receiving the corner ofthe panel board,

70 inga foot vadapted to bear -upon the face of the panel board adjacent the corner, lfor holding the panel board from movement away from the back of the cabinet, the said bracket over-lapping and supporting fthe yspaced ends of adjacent sections of the g`utter wall, a bolt piercing the two brackets for holding them rigidly interlocked, a third part consisting of a clamping member adapted tospan the gap` between the sections of' the' gutter walls, and arranged to overlap and support the opposite sides ofsaid gutter walls, and a bolt piercing both of said brackets and also said clamping 18. A corner support for a panel board and gutter' walls, comprising aplurality of angular parts', one of said parts having a slotted base foradjustably securing the same to a cabinet, andlhaving a corrugated lportion to receive the corner of the panel board, aA second part having a flange adapted to rest upon the face of the panel board and having a corrugated portion kcorresponding to and interlocking with the first part, and a third ,Y part adapted to overlap the ends of the gut- Vter walls for holding said parts against the panel board. c

19. An adjustable corner support for panel boards Vand lgutter frames, comprising two brackets, one kbracket adjustably mounted upon and secured to the bottom of a cabied to receive the corner of the panel board Ythe other bracket having corrugated portion fitting inthe first bracket, and having an inwardlyV facing flange. adapted to rest upon the face of the panel board, means for bracket and also to said panel board, a clamping member embracing the corner of the panel board inclosure for holding the gutter frame in place, and a screw for holding saidV Vclr-mping member in place.

20. A corner support for a panel board, comprising a bracket adjustably secured within a cabinet, and having a portion adapted to fit the corner of the panel board,

a second bracket having means for engaging the face of the panel board, and having a portion for interlocking with said first mentioned bracket, and also engaging the inner Y face of the walls of the panel boardfa clamping member adapted to engage the y 21. A corner support for a panel board curing said inner member' to the bracket and 13 comprising an adjustable bracket arranged also to the outer clamping member. between and adjacent to the ends of the In testimony whereof I aiix my signature alls of the planei board, inner and outer in presence of two Witnesses. c am i110` mem ers enOaO'incf with tie inner A and djutepr faces of theentds gf said Walls, the RAYMOND H' OLLEY' inner clamping member being provided with Witnesses: means for engaging with the face of the wWM. CORNELL BLANDING, panel board, and means for adjustably se- C. C. SCHOENECK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained fornve cents each, oy addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C.

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